A Picture-Perfect Dinner

Dick has been appointed by President Obama to head the International Broadcasting Bureau, the department that runs the Voice of America, Radio Free Asia, and Liberty Radio. He and Caren will maintain their Sarasota residence on beautiful Sarasota Bay, but most of their time will be spent in Washington, and they will be missed.

Philanthropists extraordinaire John and Susan Sykes of Tampa purchased the dinner at an auction to benefit WEDU, and this past weekend we held the dinner at the Lobos’ home. Also attending were WEDU board chairman Barry Alpert and his wife, Judith, former WEDU chairman Geoff Simon and his wife, Andrea Graham, who’s considered godmother of the Tampa performing arts community, and former mayor of Tampa Dick Greco and his wife, Dr. Linda McClintock Greco.
 

WEDU dinner guests

The group timed their entrance in spectacular fashion, just as the sun dissolved into a Sarasota postcard-perfect sunset. Actually, they were supposed to have arrived earlier; however, the driver whom they had hired misread his GPS and they ended up in Venice. Despite the minor mishap, the rest of the evening went smoothly.

THE WEDU MENU

Antipasto:

Canapès di Bottarga

Assorted Italian cheeses

Guava Bellini with Primo Franco Prosecco

Primi Piatti

Seafood-filled ravioli with pink shrimp sauce

Raviolini di pesce al sugo di gamberi

Jermann Pino Grigio

Secondo

Pan-seared beef tenderloin steaks with fresh tomato and pancetta

Filet mignon al pomodoro e pancetta

Artichoke and potato casserole

Teglia di carciofi e patate

2004 Prunotto Barolo

Dolce

Tiramisù

Villa Massa Limoncello di Sorrento

Dinner is served.

Bottarga is pressed mullet roe and is a delicacy of Sardinia known worldwide for its superior product. Ironically, the mullet is often fished off our coast. One of the main purveyors of mullet caviar in our area is Bell Fish House, which unfortunately has seen a marked downturn in international orders due to the B.P. oil disaster.
 

Mr. Dick Lobo

Multiple wines accompanied the meal, and it was a fabulous and joyous affair that went until the early hours of the morning as the guests enjoyed each other’s company. The conversation meandered through multiple topics ranging from food appreciation to travel to free speech. 

I admit I am biased, but the food really was DELICIOUS. Giuliano’s gift is that what he creates is eminently replicable. Our secondo, the meat dish, was rich and succulent tenderloin. Pan-seared and covered with a sauce of fresh tomatoes and a thin slice of pancetta, it was a delicate, melt-in-your-mouth delight. It’s a dish perfect for any elegant dinner party, whether for 12 or just you and a friend.
 

Giuliano Hazan and John & Susan Sykes

Beef Tenderloin with Fresh Tomatoes and Pancetta

(From How to Cook Italian by Giuliano Hazan)

Serves 4 people

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 (6 to 8 ounce) beef tenderloin steaks

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 small yellow onion

3/4 pound ripe tomato

1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme

8 thin slices pancetta

Put the olive oil in a skillet large enough to accommodate the steaks comfortably and place over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, put the steaks in and cook without moving them for about 4 minutes, until well browned. Turn them over and cook for another 3-4 minutes for medium rare.  Remove them from the pan and set aside on a platter.  Season with salt and pepper.

While the steaks are cooking, peel and finely chop the onion. Peel the tomato and coarsely chop it.

After removing the steaks, lower the heat to medium and add the remaining tablespoon olive oil. Put in the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until it softens and turns a rich golden color, 3-5 minutes.

While the onion is sautéing, chop the thyme.  When the onions are done, add the thyme and tomato and season lightly with salt. Add the pancetta, raise the heat to medium-high and cook until the tomato has reduced and is no longer watery, 10-15 minutes.

Return the steaks to the pan and turn them in the sauce.  Cover the pan for about a minute to allow the meat to heat through. Serve at once, topping each steak with 2 slices pancetta on top of each steak and some sauce.